IT Director - Military veterans preferred

2025-09-19
Ava Community Energy
Other

/yr

  employee   contract


Oakland
California
94612
United States

IT Director

About Ava Community Energy

Ava Community Energy (Ava) is a Joint Powers Authority comprising Alameda County and its incorporated areas, and the cities of Lathrop, Stockton, and Tracy. Ava's charter is to provide its customers with low carbon, cost-effective electricity that integrates innovative energy products and maximizes local benefits through the development of local solutions, ranging from increasing access to rooftop solar to supporting the adoption of electric vehicles.

Culture and Commitment to Diversity

Ava believes in a vibrant culture that supports and nurtures a workplace that offers every individual the opportunity to attain professional goals and contribute to accomplishing our mission. We foster a culture of open communication, responsibility, curiosity, accountability, and teamwork. We want creative problem solvers that are excited to work in an entrepreneurial environment and grow our organization!

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce that is reflective of our service area's rich culture and communities. We welcome a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and skills.

We strongly encourage people of all characteristics to apply and prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment of any type based on age, religion, color, gender identity or expression, race, ancestry, or national origin, religion or creed, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or characteristics, and those with a disability as protected by federal, state and local laws.

Position Summary

We're looking for an experienced Information Technology (IT) Director to lead and grow our technology function. In this role, you'll shape the vision for IT across the organization while rolling up your sleeves to ensure our systems are secure, reliable, and empowering for staff. You'll oversee everything from endpoint management and SaaS tools to network infrastructure and cybersecurity strategy — while also evaluating emerging AI tools that can help us work smarter. This is a chance to combine strategic leadership with hands-on execution, in service of a mission-driven organization dedicated to decarbonization and community impact. This position reports to the VP of HR, Office Operations, and IT and will collaborate closely with leadership across departments to align IT initiatives with organizational goals.

Why Join Us? This is more than an IT leadership role — it's a chance to help guide how a mission-driven, future-focused organization uses technology to achieve big goals. You'll build systems that make work better for people, keep us secure in a fast-changing environment, and position us at the forefront of innovation in clean energy and community impact.

Position Details

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Ava's IT Team currently includes one full-time employee (IT Manager) and support from a 3rd party IT partner. The IT Director will lead this team, taking a more hands-on approach in some areas more than others, covering the scope identified below. The time allocation percentages listed for each responsibility area, in brackets, are estimates intended to provide a sense of how this role is typically balanced. Actual time spent may fluctuate depending on organizational priorities and business needs.

IT Operational and Strategic Leadership [est. 40%]

  • Lead the IT function, including managing staff or external vendors, setting priorities, and ensuring high-quality service delivery.
  • Foster a strong team culture through mentorship, goal setting, and effective performance management.
  • Develop and execute the organization's IT strategy across IT operations, cybersecurity (on premise, employee device and workspace software), AI adoption (workspace software), and aligning with short and long term agency objectives.
  • Partner with leadership to ensure IT initiatives support organizational goals, values, and regulatory requirements.
  • Oversee IT vendors and service providers, including evaluating options, negotiating contracts, and managing execution of agreements to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with organizational needs.
  • Collaborate cross functionally, especially with the Engineering, Analytics, and Salesforce (EAS) Team on a variety of initiatives and day-to-day activities.
  • Develop reporting tools and dashboards, and distill complex technical information into clear, actionable updates and presentations for leadership and other stakeholders.

Security & Compliance [est. 20%]

  • Partner with external experts and vendors to strengthen security posture and deploy solutions.
  • Enforce endpoint security policies and coordinate with cybersecurity teams/partners.
  • Support MFA and conditional access configurations for devices and software.
  • Ensure compliance with public agency and industry security standards.
  • Assist with incident response, threat mitigation, and device lockdown procedures.
  • Ensure IT and data-related compliance requirements are met in line with public agency standards and organizational policies.
  • Partner with the Engineering, Analytics, and Salesforce (EAS) team and other functional teams on compliance initiatives, audits, and reporting.
  • Maintain documentation and evidence of compliance activities for internal and external review.
  • Support risk assessments and implement mitigation measures to strengthen security and compliance posture.

Device & SaaS Application Management (Non-Code/Non-Data) [est. 15%]

  • Manage the IT Team to provision, configure, and deploy laptops and phones across Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android platforms.
  • Manage the administration and maintenance of Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems.
  • Develop policies and guide the enforcement of full-disk encryption, anti-virus software, and secure boot configurations.
  • Ensure the maintenance of hardware inventory, ensuring timely patching and updates for all operating systems and devices.
  • Oversee the administration and provision of user accounts across productivity and collaboration workspace tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, Notion, Zoom, JIRA), excluding software and cloud infrastructure that relates to software development, code, and data (e.g., Google Cloud Platform, Github, Salesforce).
  • Implement, manage and collaborate on SSO integrations across Ava workspace platforms (e.g., Okta, Google Workspace, Azure AD).

AI & Emerging Technology [est. 15%]

  • Identify and implement emerging technologies that improve efficiency, strengthen security, and create value for the organization.
  • Partner with teams to identify opportunities where emerging technology and AI can enhance workflows, reduce risk, and strengthen service delivery.
  • Develop and promote emerging technology and AI governance standards, ensuring responsible, secure, and ethical use across the organization.
  • Stay informed on emerging technology and AI regulations, risks, and best practices, and communicate implications for organizational policies and compliance.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on the role of emerging technology and AI in advancing our clean energy mission and supporting community impact.
  • Collaborate with Engineering, Analytics, and Salesforce (EAS) and Legal on the development and implementation of an Ava AI roadmap.
  • Continuously evaluate and test emerging technology and AI workplace tools that improve efficiency and collaboration; assess how shifts in the AI landscape and emerging technologies for improved productivity (e.g., generative AI, automation platforms) impact the business and inform long-term strategy.

Building & Office Infrastructure [est. 10%]

  • Oversee the ongoing maintenance of office Wi-Fi networks, routers, and firewalls (e.g., Ubiquiti, Meraki).
  • Configure and enforce secure network access policies, including segmented guest/staff networks.
  • Oversee the ongoing management and optimization of office technology, including but not limited to A/V systems, printers, docks, monitors, and screens.
  • Manage the team and, at times if needed, be hands-on to support in-office tech issues and escalate as needed to external vendors.

Other duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, or related field (Master's preferred).
  • 10+ years of progressive IT experience, including staff/vendor management and hands-on systems administration, and leadership roles.
  • Proven track record in IT strategy across office infrastructure, endpoint management, SaaS platforms, and security.
  • Strong knowledge of network management, endpoint security, and SaaS administration.
  • Hands-on experience with MDM systems, SSO solutions, and enterprise collaboration tools (e.g., Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom).
  • Familiarity with AI applications in business operations and cybersecurity contexts.
  • Excellent leadership, project management, and communication skills.
  • Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on technical execution.
  • Commitment to advancing organizational values through technology.
  • Ability to prioritize and multi-task and to work independently with minimum supervision.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary for this position is $223,740 with a Total Compensation of up to $250,589 annually based on performance.

Ava offers a generous benefits package which includes:

  • Zero cost Individual, family, and domestic partner health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
  • Life and AD&D, EAP, STD, and LTD
  • Retirement with Employer Matching
  • Social Security deferment plan
  • Paid Time Off and Holidays
  • Commuter Benefits
  • Fertility & Adoption Benefits
  • Pet Insurance
  • Mental Health Support
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (health and dependent care accounts)
  • Paid Volunteer Days
  • And More!

Location and Working Conditions

This position will be based in Ava headquarters in Oakland, near BART. Ava's team has a hybrid approach inclusive of in-office and remote work. This role is expected to go into the office Tuesdays, Thursdays and the first Wednesday of the month.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Ava is dedicated to reasonably accommodate an applicant for known physical or mental disabilities so that the applicant may participate in the application process. We will engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process with any employee with a known physical or mental disability to identify potential reasonable accommodations, if any, to enable the employee to perform the essential functions of their position.

  • General office environment is primarily sedentary work which requires the following physical activities: standing, sitting, walking, reaching, lifting, finger dexterity, grasping, repetitive motions, talking, hearing and visual acuity.
  • The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds.
  • The noise level is usually moderate.

Licenses/Certificates

  • Possession and continued maintenance of a valid class C California driver's license or the ability to provide alternate transportation and a safe driving record.

Working at Ava Community Energy

Ava is committed to complying with applicable laws, including the Americans with Disability Act and Fair Employment and Housing Act, ensuring equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability. Ava prohibits unlawful discrimination based on age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), genetic information or characteristics, gender identity, gender expression, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, creed, marital status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, or on any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local laws. Ava strives to maintain a COVID-free workplace, being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment (exemptions will be evaluated by legal counsel).

The information contained herein has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. The information also does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.





Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

PI278108705

 

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